Reviewer:
Evan S. Hunt
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March 16, 2008 Subject:
All Full Of Themselves
This remarkably crisp SBD brings out the true brilliance of the band's performance that night. This is a tremendous show of which I was fortunate to be
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a participant. Upon streaming, tr 3 Mama Tried is nil and also tr 4 Mexicali would not play on my system. Despite those flukes, every note of the first set is grand. The separation of all instruments/vocals and the tone of Jerry's Wolf could astound even the most veteran and discerning taper/traders. Tennessee, Miracle, Stagger and Jack -- all fine versions, they just..."rather" rock! Jerry is in the pocket throughout laying down some seriously wicked liquid metal. It seems like I am hearing this show for the first time. Scarlet>Fire is superb. Estimated guitar solo into final chorus exhibits giant flub on the change which stuns me momentarily. I distinctly remember this flub. Both Bob and Jerry missed it and immediately, simultaneously broke into laughter. It's one of those cherished concert moments you can never forget. But they quickly shake it and launch into a long and peppered outro jam into a sassy Eyes followed by an exotic Egyptian Drumz. This is a particularly interesting drum interlude which is so tuneful it induces melody. Space moves in slowly and you can plainly hear a woman near or on stage asking Jerry for banjo lessons. He kibbutz' with her for a moment while entranced into the opening realms of his noodling. Finally Bobby walks over and jokingly says something about calling the police on her all the while he's wrenching from mind-crippling caterwalls. What ensues thereafter is lots of lace and filagree. Jerry hints at the next song and then drops sweet and lovingly into a World to Give so dazzling that it halts my breath. Jerry's Clapton-esque Wolf is weeping crying great drops of blood from its forehead. The emotion displayed by the entire band on the ending outro of this song is all-consuming. Frankly, after samesaid tears of joy anything else could be considered superfluous. I had to run to turn the volume down, for... The rest is pure heaven flailing guitars. The Grateful Dead coming home from a long, strange trip, and we, holding down the homefront, were all full of ourselves that night.